


The Future Years

by Winterstar



Series: I would walk 500 miles [4]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst, Daughters, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Superfamily, Superhusbands
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-22
Updated: 2014-10-22
Packaged: 2018-02-22 02:56:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2491889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Winterstar/pseuds/Winterstar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Twenty years in the future. In the middle of a war, Tony and Steve take a moment for one another and to plan the future.</p><p>This story can be read as a standalone if you accept that Tony and Steve are married and have adult daughters.</p><p>
  <i>corrected</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Future Years

**Author's Note:**

> If you are interested in reading the rest of the series it will only enrich your enjoyment! :) (hopefully)

"She's out of control, Tony, you have to do something," Steve says as he strips the helmet off and tosses the shield to the side. A blood streak partially obscures his right eye but he ignores it as he rants. "She takes risks, she's headstrong in the field, and she disrespects me."

"Just because she calls you old man doesn't mean that she's disrespecting you," Tony says as he stands up and rounds the large curving console of his War Center. He hasn't been in the field in years and the first few times Steve went out after Tony retired were the hardest days of his life. Truth be told, he very nearly pulled out the suit again when the latest invasion started, but someone had to focus on the operations, someone had to invent what they needed to defeat these bastards. 

Yet, he still wonders if he’s doing the right thing, leaving his husband and his barely twenty year old daughter to the wolves. With the revisions he’d made to Extremis – not just patches like he did for Pepper back in the day- but real modifications, he could have used it and gone out to battle again. He didn't go out again, he’s ended up exactly where he is needed at the War Center or what Steve named the Command Center. Everyone else calls it the War Center, though not to Steve's face.

"I don't care that she calls me old man, for God's sake, Tony, you call me Gramps, and I'm married to you," Steve says and tugs off his gloves. He's in a tizzy today.

Tony steps down from the consoles where he quite literally has his eyes and ops on the pulse of the ground war against the Skrull. It isn't pretty and they aren't exactly winning yet, but they aren't losing. "She wants to protect you, you know."

"I can protect myself, have been for over a hundred years," Steve says.

"I don't think that seventy years in the ice, counts, Dad," Maggie says as she peers out from the back of the War Center. Her long dark curls fall over her shoulder as she leans back in her chair as her glasses slip down her nose. In her little cubby she's running simulations as the battles advance and communicating with field units in theater. Her understanding of probabilities rivals his own. He’s proud of his daughter.

"You stay out of this, you're just protecting your sister, Maggie."

Maggie adjusts her glasses and holds a tablet to her chest. "It's Margaret, and, of course I am, she's my sister."

Steve huffs out a sigh and points to Maggie. "Tony."

"Children," Tony says with a bit of levity and a lot of love He turns back to Steve. "You know I love it when you get all tense and righteous." He sidles up to his husband, pressing close against him, and slips his arms around his waist. "Especially when you're all sweaty and bloody from battle."

"Ugh, come on, guys, we have a war to fight, it's not time for your horny coc-."

"Maggie!" They both sing out at the same time.

She raises an eyebrow and tilts her head. "It's Margaret."

"Okay then, "Tony replies. "I am going to go ravage your father. Keep an eye on the ops while we're gone."

"Geez, you two are like teenagers," Maggie rolls her eyes as she stomps off to the consoles. "Ever since Papa came back."

Tony squeezes Steve's hand. They don't need to be reminded of Steve's incarceration by the Skrull and one of the Skrull masquerading as Steve. Still gives Tony the creeps. Steve wraps his arm around him and Tony keeps silent, doesn't mention the slight shiver that runs up his husband's spine.

"Can you manage your sister for me? I'm going to go shower and then get back to the front right after I eat," Steve says.

Maggie scoffs. "You're not just showering, and Sophie doesn't need to be managed. She's a master as Iron Woman. Seriously, dude, have you seen how she flies?" She disappears as she continues about the wonders of her sister's ability in the armor. “Better than Dad.”

“Lies, I tell you,” Tony yells back but takes a certain pride in the fact that Sophie has the eye and the skill to out maneuver even the best Skrull ship. She is a master. 

"I blame this on you," Steve says as Tony tows him away from the War Room, through the passageways of their underground base to their quarters. It's safe and quiet and here they can be themselves. 

Tony locks the door and then leads Steve over to the bed. It isn’t much, but right now he feels like a king with Steve in his hands. Tony pushes Steve onto the bed and probes his face and head looking for the source of the dried blood. The wound is already closed and isn’t deep – anymore. 

"I'm okay," Steve says and reaches up for Tony's hand.

"You don't look okay, you look like they put you through the ringer," Tony says. He brushes away the smudges of dirt and ash. He stares into Steve’s eyes and quietly asks, “Are you okay?”

"Well you kind of go ballistic on the aliens who impersonated you and came to take over your life."

Tony sinks down into Steve's arms. The solidity of the man fills him, warms him, provides for him everything the world cannot these days. He thinks about how close they came to losing everything. "God, if Maggie hadn't figured it out."

"No ifs, she did. She's brilliant like you, and she did." Steve rubs his hands up and down Tony's back. "I worry about what happened to you, during."

"You're the one who was imprisoned on their ship, tortured for information." Tony lines his hands up and down Steve's face. He hates to see the battle wounds; it reminds him of what they went through, what Steve went through when no one was searching for him. No one even knew Steve was gone with a Skrull walking around with his face. 

"Don't beat yourself up over it," Steve says. "We talked about this." Steve kisses him lightly along his throat, paying special interest to the sensitive spots that he loves so much. "We don't have time for regrets or worries not when the world is on fire."

Tony welcomes the kisses and touches, and finally draws Steve away to the tiny bathroom, a luxury in the war base, to clean him and bathe him. 

Afterward, Tony doesn't leave any nerve untouched or flesh unkissed. He wants to wipe away the fears from both of their memories, the shadows of another who intruded upon their perfect place and tried to defeat them. Within their union, it becomes like a prayer, a homage to the sanctity of their vows. He caresses and cares as Steve holds him, shelters him as they move and rise together, as something that had once been rough and fun and urgent transforms into affirmation and tender and gentle. As they peak and fall, as they crest and ebb, they tumble and entwine until they both crumple, collapsed on the bed. Worn and spent, but perfect and silent.

After a quiet moment has past, Steve whispers, "Maybe Maggie's right."

Tony pants and kisses Steve's shoulder. "What about?"

"This, we're a little like teenagers lately."

"Well, we can be, we were targeted by big green monsters and taken advantage-."

Steve wraps his arms around Tony in a cradle. "I hate that he touched you."

"He didn't get far, Maggie figured it out pretty quick."

"Thank God you were on the other side of the world most of the time he was here," Steve says and closes his eyes. Tony spots the tears at the edges, but says nothing. There are truths Steve never needs to hear. 

Instead he changes the subject. "I'm going to use Extremis."

"No, no you're not."

"It's the only way. We can get the band back together, we have to change the game. If we want to win this war, I'm going to use it and we're going to survive this."

"And what will it do to you, Tony? To the others?" Steve says and props himself up on elbows as Tony sits up.

"I’ve already used it on a limited capacity. I’m fine, you know that. I have it completely figured out. It isn't like the time Killian had it. I went back to Maya's formula, fixed everything. We are good to go. We can bring the band back together. Do you think that Clint and Natasha and I like sitting on the sidelines?" Tony says. "While our kids and our spouses are out there risking their lives?"

"I couldn't stand it if you were hurt, Tony. It would distract me in the field," Steve says and Tony scowls at him.

"Don't use that excuse, how do you think it is for me? I sit up at the War-."

"Command Center."

"War Center," Tony counters. "And watch as those bastards try and blow my family away. I’m watching you and Sophie out there all the time. Extremis will work, it will heal and it will help. I’ve already talked to Clint and Natasha, they're ready to go. Don't tell me that Bucky wouldn't welcome the help out on the battlefield. He's tired, you're tired."

"I am," Steve admits and his hand drifts down along the line of Tony's cheek. "It's something else, isn't it? From Shawarma, to dating, to husbands, to daughters."

"You forgot about the almost death of you in there, that changed things."

Steve nods. "It did."

Tony ended up hanging up the suit. He stayed home, helped run his business, took care of the girls. Invented some of the very technology that's going to help them win this war. "Yeah, and now alien invasion."

"Big time," Steve says. "I'm glad it's been with you."

"All the way, baby," Tony says and knows they have to get back at it. Their advances are small, but they will win back the Earth from these creatures. Not only avenge but win it. Win back their home.

"All the way," Steve says and lifts Tony back into his arms and lays him over his body, length to length.

A loud bang and slam of the door interrupts them and tumbling inside of their small quarters are their daughters, Margaret with her dark hair a mess of curls and her glasses and with Sophia her short blonde hair and blue eyes visible with the faceplate of her armor lifted. "Dad." "Papa." And then, "Ew get a room."

"We are in a room, if you didn't notice. And I locked that door as I remember. Thanks a lot JARVIS," Tony says as he pulls up the sheet to cover them. "What is it?"

"The Hulk is back," Sophie says with all of Steve's enthusiasm and earnestness and sheer stubborness as well. She is Steve Rogers head to toe and beautiful and righteous, and brave, always brave. "He's tearing apart the battlefield. We got it. We are winning this!"

"Bruce is back?" Tony says as they both scramble out of bed, vying for the sheet to cover themselves.

"Yep, and he seems to have brought a lady friend," Maggie adds.

"A lady friend?"

"Yeah, some big green lady Hulk."

"Wow," Steve says and shakes his head. "I didn't know there were two of them."

Tony smiles. "Seems like we are getting the band back together again."

"Tony," Steve says but then Tony rips the sheet out of his hands, leaving his husband bare in front of his daughters and he dives for the blanket. "We'll be right there, girls."

Sophie laughs and drags her older sister out of the room, closing the door behind her. "Hurry up, you have got to see this."

When Tony turns around to meet Steve's gaze, he sees the same excitement from his daughter Sophie in her eyes. "I think we're gonna be okay."

Steve looks up at him, smiles and says, "Yeah, I think so. I think we are."

"Good?"

It is their way now, they ask. In one word, but they don't need words anymore. Not after all the years and milestones and hiccups along the way. They don't need to ask because they know, but they still do.

Steve answers, "Good."

Tony bows his head and feels the hot prickle of tears. "Yeah, good."

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you like this addition to the stories. I really wanted to show them in the future with their daughters. Thanks for reading. If you want you can follow me on [tumblr](http://winterstar95.tumblr.com)
> 
> Thanks myrafur for the correction - I am always getting those two mixed up!


End file.
